Poisonheart-Till The Morning Light

Sneakout Records
2017

I don't know about anyone else, but when I hear the the phrase "poison heart" I can't help but think about The Ramones. Written in 1992 by bassist Dee Dee Ramone, "Poison Heart" is dark and depressing look at the uncaring world that is all around us. It has a simple yet haunting chorus that I can't help but sing as the tragic nature of life unfolds before my eyes. There is no way to know whether or not this Italian four-piece band named themselves after the poignant Ramones' number, but it sure does seem as if this hard/heavy rock group is looking to make the phrase their own. All it takes is one spin of their full-length debut here and that much is obvious. There is a strong and confident vibe at the center of this band. In spite of the many line-up changes and the long time that it took to put out this album out it is there and it is obvious. Having first formed back in the second half of 2000 as a classic glam/punk rock cover band, Poisonheart-Fabio Perini (lead vocals, guitar) Andrea Gusmeri (lead guitar, back-up vocals) Giuseppe Bertoli (bass, backing vocals), and Francesco Verrone (drums, backing vocals)-has come into it's own on "Till The Morning Light". These days the group has all but dropped any sign of their punk rock roots. In it's place we have groups like Kiss, The 69 Eyes, and W.A.S.P. Add in the living legend that is Alice Cooper and you have a nice starting point of reference when it comes to this dark and slightly-edgy recording. Of the ten tracks on Poisonheart's debut, "Anymore" (see the video here ) was the first number that I heard and it makes for a great single. While it remains my personal favorite of the bunch there really isn't a bad track to be found on "Till The Morning Light". That says a lot about the talent of this hard rock/dark rock and roll outfit. Due out later in this month, "Till The Morning Light" shows off the impressive skills of this four-piece band that went from playing covers to performing original material. It will be really interesting to see where these guys go from here.